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Umana @raras AMISA P. GOTHAM, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

HEEL.

SPEGIFCATION forming part of Letters 4Patent. No. 520,522, dated May 29, 1894.

Application led January 5, l 893.

To all whom t may concern:

].Se it known that I, AMIsA P. GOTHAM, a citizen o f the United States, residing at Newark, 1n the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin SpringHeelS for Boots and Shoes; andIdoherebydeclarethefollowingto be a f ull, clear,and eXact description of the in- Vent1on, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The primary object of this invention is to aiford more perfect ease and comfort to the wearer of boots and shoes, and it consists in prov1ding the boot or shoe heel with a movable plate to which a spring is secured, as w1llbe hereinafter more particularly set forth. Referring to the accompanying drawings 1n which similar letters of refereuceindicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures where they occur, Figure l represents partly in elevation and partly in section a shoe having myimprovement combinedtherewith. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the heel-plate shownv in Fig. l. Fig. 3 shows a plan, 1nl perspective, of a flat wire such as may `be used in the formation of a spring shown 1n Fig. l. Fig. 4 represents in elevation the completed spring enlarged. Fig, 5 is a plan View' of the same, and Fig. 6 is a section taken through the line of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section taken through the line y of Fig. 2, and Fig. 8 is a detail, in elevation, of the fastemng-screw and nut, shown in'Figs. 6 and 7.

In said drawings, a, indicates a spring, b, the heel-plate and c, the sole of the boot or shoe. The heel-plate b, is firmly and rigidly secured to the spring a, in this instance by means of a screw d, secured to said plate, as ind1cated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, which screws lnto a correspondingly threaded socket or nut e which is brazed or otherwise secured inthe upper coil of the spring, and flush with the top thereof, as will be understood upon reference to Fig. 6. A flange or collar cl forms a broad and level bearing upon the top of the spring and is a support to the plate. The heel-p1ate is covered withleather e', or other soft material, which is pasted thereon and Seria1N0,457,337. (No model.)

further secured by eyelets f, riveted at both ends, as indicated in Fig. 2, whereby perforations g, are formed in .the plate and covering, to ventilate and fan the foot of the wearer as the heel rises and settles, in the act of walking.

The spring may be made of ilat wire, and tapered, as to thickness, (see Fig. 3) and the coils telescope loosely into one another so that when the spring is fully compressed the depth of the spring is equal to only one coil, z'. e., the coils settle gradually and uniformly into one another as the spring is compressed, until they are all embraced in and lie flush with the upper edge of the bottom coil. A spring in the heel of a boot or shoe will permit the plate .to tilt when the weight of the body is upon it, in any direction, whereby the ankle is always relieved from und ue strain when the heelof the shoe strikes an obstruction, such as a stone or unevenness of any kind in the surface walked upon, thus, no matter upon what angle the heel of the boot or shoe may be tilted, the heel-plate and the heel of the wearer, will remain practically' level, and without injury to the spring. The top and bottom coils of the spring are formed so as to present a practically level seat and the said bottom coil is snugly fitted and pressed into a tapering socket or recess formed into the sole of the boot or shoe at the heel, to a depth somewhat deeper than, or about the same as the depth of said coil, as will be understood upon reference to Fig. 1. If desired the spring maybe secured in said socket by any suitable extraneous means, though such means of securing it are not usually necessary.

Ordinary coiled-springs, which are made of wire of uniform thickness, are objectionable in that the upper coils, owing to their decreasing size and the uniform thickness of the metal are so sti that they will not yield to the weight of the body and therefore only the lower or larger coils are'serviceable, as will be readily understood; but this defect is remedied by tapering the wire gradually to a knife-edge at the end, as shown, which allows all the coils to settle simultaneously, uniformly and gradually into one another and also renders the spring much more olastic and easy in its action, as will be obvious.

2. The combination in a spring heel of a spring composed of aiiat wire of spring metal formed into a succession of coils telescoping into or overlapping one another, the lower or largest coil adapted to be seated in a recess in the heel of said boot or shoe; a screwthreaded socket secured in the top or smaller coil, a heel plate and a screw secured thereto and adapted to screw into said socket,as described and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination in a spring heel, of a spring composed of a flat wire of spring metal formed into a succession of coils telescoping into or overlapping one another and adapted to be seated in a recess in the heel or sole of said boot or shoe, and aperforated heel-plate firmly secured to the top of said spring, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of December, 1892.

AMISAy P. GOTHAM.

Witnesses:

OLIVER BRAKE, OSCAR A. MICHEL. 

